1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an improved method and system for producing hard-copy color images with improved brightness and color characteristics on radiation absorbing surfaces, and more particularly to a method and system for producing such color images using super-white and additive-primary colored inks, paints and crayons embodying CLC-based microflakes having symmetrical reflection characteristics.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,554 to Applicant discloses a method and system of stereoscopic viewing color 3-D objects by (i) printing, painting, or plotting stereoscopic image pairs using CLC-based inks or paints designed to selectively reflective light having a particular wavelength and polarization state, and (ii) viewing such stereoscopic image pairs through electrically-passive polarization eyeglasses. This stereoscopic 3-D display technique offers several important advantages over prior art stereoscopic 3-D display techniques based on the method of displaying spatially-multiplexed images (SMIs) through absorptive-type micropolarization arrays as taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,121,343 and 5,146,415 to Applicant, incorporated herein by reference.
In particular, when forming SMIs or micropolarizing the same using absorptive-type micropolarization arrays, as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,121,343 and 5,146,415, a substantial loss of image intensity inherently occurs. In contrast, the stereoscopic display method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,554 is capable of producing hard-copy copies of polarization-encoded images without forming SMIs or using an absorptive micropolarization array, as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,121,343 and 5,146,415. Consequently, polarization encoded image pairs produced by the technique taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,554 can be stereoscopically viewed through electrically-passive polarizing eyeglasses, with improved image quality and brightness, while significantly simplifying the printing and displaying of the underlying stereoscopic image pairs.
While the stereoscopic display method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,554 represents a significant advance in the stereoscopic 3-D display art, it has been virtually impossible to produce high quality 3-D stereoscopic images using prior art CLC-based inks and pigments required by this stereoscopic display method.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,557, Applicant has taught how to make CLC inks and paints for use in carrying out the above-described 3-D stereoscopic display technique. However, CLC-based inks and paints based on the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,557 are not without shortcomings and drawbacks. In particular, the asymmetrical reflection characteristics of the CLC microflakes contained within these prior art CLC-based inks and paints result in color coatings lacking color purity and uniform brightness characteristics required for commercial utility.
Moreover, using prior art fabrication techniques, it has been impossible to produce CLC-based paints and inks capable of imparting xe2x80x9csuper-whitexe2x80x9d color characteristics, similar to those produced by Magnesium-Oxide based (white) inks and paints well known in the art. Consequently, when using the prior art CLC-based inks and paints, it has been impossible to produce color images capturing the colorful aspects of nature in a faithful manner, or having tones and shades demanded by even those endowed with low levels of artistic expression.
Thus there is a great need in the art for an improved method and system for forming color images on radiation absorptive surfaces with improved brightness and color characteristics, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art systems and methodologies.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a system and method of producing color images on radiation absorbing surfaces and having improved brightness and color characteristics, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art systems and methodologies.
Another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method of producing color images on radiation absorbing surfaces using coloring media having additive-primary and super-white color characteristics.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for forming polarization-encoded composite images on radiation absorptive surfaces, for use in stereoscopic viewing of full-color 3-D objects represented therein using a pair of electrically-passive polarizing eyeglasses.
Another object is to provide such a method and system of producing polarization-encoded composite images having full depth of color (e.g. thousands of color values), hitherto unachievable using prior art color-imparting technologies.
Another object is to provide such a method and system of producing polarization-encoded composite images consisting of stereoscopic image pairs formed on radiation absorbing surfaces in an overlapping manner, and having improved brightness and color characteristics.
Another object is to provide such a method and system of producing pairs of polarization-encoded perspective images using super-white and additive-primary coloring media embodying polarizing-reflective microflakes having symmetrical reflection characteristics.
Another object is to provide such a method and system of producing polarization-encoded composite images, wherein the polarizing-reflective microflakes are made from circularly polarizing reflective material having improved spectral and band-pass position characteristics for imparting improved color characteristics.
Another object is to provide such a method and system of producing polarization-encoded composite images, wherein the polarizing-reflective microflakes having a laminated construction, and each surface thereof exhibits symmetrical broadband reflection characteristics over particular regions of the visible band of the electromagnetic spectrum, in order to provide improved light reflectively and brightness characteristics.
Another object is to provide such a method and system of producing polarization-encoded composite images, wherein the polarizing-reflective microflakes are made from microscopic size fragments of thin CLC film material in which the axis of helical pitch of CLC molecules extends along the thickness dimension of the CLC microflake (i.e. transverse to the surface thereof), and in which the pitch of the helices of the CLC molecules varies in a non-linear (e.g. exponential) manner along the thickness dimension of each CLC microflake.
Another object is to provide such a method and system of producing polarization-encoded composite images, wherein each surface of the polarizing-reflective microflakes exhibits symmetrical broadband reflection characteristics over the visible band of the electromagnetic spectrum, in order to provide improved light reflectively and brightness characteristics.
Another object is to provide such a method and system of producing polarization-encoded composite images, wherein the polarizing-reflective microflakes contained in left-perspective images are made from left-handed circularly polarizing (LHCP) material having left-handed circularly-polarizing reflection characteristics over the entire visible band of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the polarizing-reflective microflakes contained in right-perspective images are made from right-handed circularly polarizing (RHCP) material having right-handed circularly-polarizing reflection characteristics over the entire visible band of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Another object is to provide such a method and system, wherein the polarization-encoded composite images can be displayed on a wide variety of substrates including, for example, billboards, magazine pages, scientific and technical journals, public advertising surfaces, and the like.
Another object is to provide a computer-controlled system for producing polarization-encoded composite images, wherein a first plurality of computer-controlled applicators are provided for forming LHCP-encoded left-perspective images on radiation absorbing substrates using CLC-based coloring media containing LHCP-type CLC microflakes having symmetrical polarization/reflection characteristics, and a second plurality of computer-controlled applicators are provided for forming RHCP-encoded right perspective images thereon using CLC-based coloring media containing RHCP-type CLC microflakes having symmetrical polarization/reflection characteristics, in order to form polarization-encoded composite images with ultra-high brightness and color uniformity for high-quality stereoscopic viewing of 3-D objects graphically represented therein.
Another object is to provide such system in the form of a xerographic printer which prints polarization-encoded composite images on a radiation absorbing sheets of paper using CLC-based toner materials having additive-primary and super-white color characteristics.
Another object is to provide such system in the form of an ink-jet printer which prints polarization-encoded composite images on a radiation absorbing sheets of paper using CLC-based toner materials having additive-primary and super-white color characteristics.
Another object is to provide a computer-controlled method of producing polarization-encoded composite images, comprising the steps of forming LHCP-encoded left-perspective images on radiation absorbing substrates using CLC-based coloring media containing LHCP-type CLC microflakes having symmetrical polarization/reflection characteristics, and forming RHCP-encoded right perspective images thereon using CLC-based coloring media containing RHCP-type CLC microflakes having symmetrical polarization/reflection characteristics, whereby polarization-encoded composite images having ultra-high brightness and color uniformity characteristics are produced, for high-quality stereoscopic viewing of 3-D objects graphically represented therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel stereoscopic viewing system, wherein 3-D objects graphically represented in polarization-encoded composite images are viewed through circularly-polarizing viewing spectacles are made from broadband CLC film material.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a stereoscopic viewing system, wherein the circularly-polarizing spectacles can be worn as sunglasses when not used as stereoscopic viewing glasses.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel pair of stereoscopic viewing spectacles, embodying LHCP-type and RHCP-type filters made from broadband CLC film material.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter and in the Claims to Invention.